Gold-Mining Site Raided By Gang, Machines Set On Fire
A gold processing plant in Ikolomani, Kakamega County, is counting the losses after a night gang raided it and destroyed machines worth millions.
The gangs stormed the site at 9 p.m., armed with guns, injuring four guards.
According to one of the workers, the raid was motivated by a conflict of interest among some employees who were not permitted to work on the site.
“The issue is that there is a group opposed to the gold mining going on here while the others embrace it. Some of us had jobs here but right now, that’s not the case,” a worker lamented.
The miner explained that the gang of youths attacked the mine about two hours later, beating up the miners and security guards before setting fire to the machines.
“Gangs raided us while we were working at 9 p.m. and burnt machines. They even burnt my motorcycle which was packed alongside the machines,” the worker continued.
The gang, armed with weapons, attacked the mine in Shanta Village on Tuesday night.
The raid came as the National Government was considering a mining investment worth Ksh5.8 billion.
The agreement, according to the government, will pave the way for the establishment of Kenya’s first modern gold refinery in the Lidambitsa area of Ikolomani, Kakamega County.
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Salim Mvurya, Kenya’s then-Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Mining, argued in April that the Kakamega Gold Refinery is a game changer for the country’s gold sector.
The first-of-its-kind gold refinery is expected to be operational by June next year.
The venture, which is being led by a foreign investor, H-NUO Kenya Company, will benefit thousands of artisanal miners across the country who have previously mined the valuable mineral manually, posing inherent risks.
The government also intends to build a cutting-edge mineral testing laboratory in Kakamega to improve the efficiency and quality of mineral extraction and value addition.
Gold-Mining Site Raided By Gang, Machines Set On Fire
